The House You're Building

Prepare Your Heart: Read Hebrews 12:5-11.   Journal of a time that the Lord disciplined you.   What was the result?   What things were added to your faith that couldn’t have been without the loving correction of the Lord? Discipline is a constant factor in my life.   As a classroom teacher of first graders, my primary job is to develop this trait in the students in my classroom.   Many of them don’t come from homes where self-control is a habit that is shaped in them.   I am also a mother and try to select with care the consequences that will change my children’s character.   Because I love them, I look ahead to the moments in life that they will have to make tough choices and pray that my influence will help them choose the narrow path.   As an athlete, physical discipline is a constant as I run and play soccer regularly.   There are always moments that I need to press on despite when I feel like giving up.   There is much...

  Prepare Your Heart:   Read Ephesians 4:14-15.   Reflect on where you turn to for advice.   Is it God’s word?   A Christian friend?   A talk show?   Articles in the latest women’s magazine? Ask God to show you the places in your life He wants you to turn to for wisdom and that using today’s study would mold you to share truth with others. About a year ago, one of my best friends came to me with difficult words.   She had noticed some inconsistencies between my faith and how I was living.   My faults dwelt with works of the tongue; she noticed when I seemed insecure I would brag or exaggerate to make myself look better.   When people were around that I didn’t trust, I might make remarks that had a slight edge to them.   This was devastating to me; I felt terrible that I was living that way and that others could see that.   In listening to Matt Chandler’s podcast on gospel community, he defined   these sinfu...

While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could rescue Him from death.   And God heard the prayers because of His deep reverence for God.     Hebrews 5:7 NLT                 Last week in Proverbs we studied the fear of God.   When I read this verse this morning I had to share it as a devotional and follow up to last week’s thoughts.   The Greek word in verse 7 for deep reverence is eusebeia meaning godliness, holiness, piety, a reverence out of respect.   It’s the combination of the two together that creates the correct posture of the heart.   The necessary view of God that is willing to trust, submit, and move forward.   I can admire someone, but not put them above me in life.   I can recognize the authority of someone over me, but concede begrudgingly to their power.   When the two st...

Prepare your Heart: Read Luke 12:16-20.   Pray about how “foolish” you are.   Do you trust in yourself or in God? Ask Him to teach you about becoming wise in His eyes through this study. Today’s lesson deals with insight and ignorance.   I think is very hard to have insight into yourself and see yourself clearly.   A year or so ago my Bible Study was studying Romans 12 and the Holy Spirit used verse 3 to show me that I can’t see myself clearly.   For through the grace given to me I say to everyone amoung you not to think more highly of himslef that he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgement, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.   It has become a regular prayer of mine to see myself as God sees me, and ask Him for the ability to do so.   Like this verse says, I think the more my faith grows, the more I come to understand grace and then am able to see my own sin, knowing He will provide for me in my weakness. L...

Prepare Your Heart:   Read Job chapter 28.   Reflect on the differences found between man and God as described in this chapter.   Pray about your fear of the Lord and ask Him to give you a holy reverence for His name and character. I remember when I first became interested in the thought of what it means to fear the Lord.   That was a strange concept for me, as I had been at place in my faith where I was comfortalbe with the idea of God as the Savior Jesus, who was also my friend.   To fear Him didn’t seem like an emotion that would bring me closer to God.   I would recommend a book to you called The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges.   A quote from the inside flap reads, “For most of us fear is something we try to avoid.   And fearing God hardly sounds like an occasion for joy.   But the fear of the Lord is actually the key that opens the door to a life of true knowledge, wisdom, blessing, and joy.” Today we will look at Go...

Lord Jesus you are coming quickly! Your reward is with you, and You will give to everyone according to what he has done.   You are the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.   Yes, You are coming quickly.   Amen.   Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:12-13, 20 As I was praying this morning, God led me to a passage of Scripture and a thought shamefully I don’t have often.   His returning and His coming.   It struck me that as I interceded for those God has put into my life—those that know Him and those that don’t, I pray often for earthy things.   For circumstances to change, for provision, for wisdom and grace in this life. But let us not forget to long for heaven.   For an end to the injustice of this world.   With all that we are, to dwell with Him forever.   Seeking His kingdom of heaven; a place free from pain or need.   Where all relationships are made right.   To be without sin an...

Prepare Your Heart: Read Deuteronomy 11:18-21.   Pray about your desire as a parent for your children to know the Lord and His word.   So it happened!   Last night was the end of a very long week.   I had been up since 7 a.m. working around the house, moping, laundry, etc.   It was my first week back to teaching and the house needed some serious TLC.   Like most days when I try to fit in too much, I reached the point of exhaustion.   My mind was filled with anxiety.   Thoughts started to cross my mind about my business and   need to cut something out of my schedule.   Of course the things that came to my mind were all ministry related, including not teaching through this blog anymore.   Now I should have seen this right away as an attack from the enemy; he exploited my circumstances to catch me busy at my tasks and not in communion with God.   Then the Spirit answers with the Word, from a passage in Proverbs chapter 8 w...